The one event that most keenly shaped my beliefs on teaching was raising my son. From the time he started kindergarten, he was not your typical stay in your seat and color in the lines kind of kid. He was enthusiastic, frequently forgot to raise his hand during a passionate discussion and as he grew older, very opinionated (I have found that teachers and frequently even college professors do not value dissenting opinions). I watched as he thrived in some classes and withered in others. As he moved into high school, I watched as some teachers inspired him (he's a smart kid!) and others wanted him to fit the mold. Through him,I began to understand that students are works in progress and that there is an emotional and social side to them that must be addressed while they are finding their way academically.
What happens to a child who is retained in a grade and is double the size of his/her peers?
What happens to the enthusiastic student who is forbidden to go out at lunch and run around because they couldn't sit in their seats during the day?
Do you really think that other students don't know which students are in BSI or Special Ed? As teachers, how quick we are to refer students to the Child Study Team for testing - even those who who just need differentiated instruction in the classroom.
What happens to the student who is berated by a teacher in front of his/her peers because the teacher doesn't agree with his/her opinions?
What happens to the high school student whose parents won't let him play a sport he loves because he has not yet become serious about grades?
There is so much that teachers need to "unlearn". Teachers teach as they were taught just as parents parent in the same way they were parented. It is very hard to break the cycle. I believe that you cannot be successful at educating a student academcially if you do not educate the whole child.
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I agree whole-heartedly. Sometimes the best way to get a student to see things your way is to try to see it their way first. In addition to the many different students I've had with variations of attention deficit disorders, my husband also has adult ADHD. It is so interesting to see how the things one may attribute to a child's weakness or defiance or laziness or whatever one might call it, can be mirrored in an adult with a similar problem and show strategies for approaching that type of student. One thing I've learned: there is not one type of ADD student; every one is unique and needs to be treated that way. You have to find something that works for that student and go with it.
ReplyDeleteI just finished a great book called "Against Medical Advice" that reminded me of your post. It is worth a read. It tells the story of a boy with Tourrettes Syndrome whom the parents and boy beleive that the school system gave up on. I beleive tat special education and IEP process will dominate school administration for the forseeable future.
ReplyDeleteI would like to touch on this question that you posed in your blog. I have seen a student berated by his teacher, now he despises attending that class. This student has specifically approached me and asked me how to handle the situation of just ‘surviving’ in this class. It is unfortunate that teachers can and willingly degrade a student in a class. These students have no self-defense or they will get kicked out of the class, assigned detention and then possibly suspended. By having an honors system and rules established and implemented at the beginning of the school year in classes this allows for the students to create their own rules which they will more than likely adhere to rather than just abiding by the rules the teacher has set for the class. If students are more involved in their classroom discussion and rules they will more than likely follow them, since they have had a say in them.
ReplyDeleteI rememeber while serving on the I&RS committee at my school I found out that a student's mother was dying of cancer. I was surprised - I hadn't thought there were any "serious" problems. Nobody in the school had known. It changed my perspective overnight. This sounds terrible, but I think sometimes we as teachers become so consumed with our work that we forget we're dealing with kids, some at very critical junctures in their lives. I can't imagine what it's like to have kids of my own - but reading your post reminded me of conversations I've had with a colleague who has a teenage son. She always offers a point of view I never would have considered.
ReplyDeleteI could imagine that you could gain a lot of knowledge in terms of your teaching from raising a child. It is always say to hear stories of bad teachers like the one you described.
ReplyDeleteWe are all guilty of not recognizing the hardships that our children we teach keep hidden from us. I guess the lesson is to always keep an open mind and be more sensitive to the children we teach and make the time to listen to them and not get caught up in our work all the time. This can be tough with our busy schedules but very important to do.
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